Foot-arch support



w. H. ROBSON AND A. POWELL.

JFOOT ARCH SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 29. 19l9.

Patented July 6, 1920.

2 SHEEISSHEEI l.

.W. H. ROBSON AND A. POWELL.

FOOT ARCH SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.29.1919.

1,346,059. Pat nt d J ulyfi, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET WILLIAM HENRY ROBSON AND ALFRED POWELL, OF LONDON,ENGLAND.

FOOT-ARCH SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 6, 1920.

Application filed December 29, 1919. Serial No. 348,121.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, VVILLIAM HENRY RonsoN and ALFRED POWELL, residingat 7 New Oxford street, London, (1, surgical-instrument makers, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Foot-ArchSupports, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the foot-arch supports, that is to say, todevices for supporting a weak instep or restoring the natural arch inthe case of a flat foot.

In the improved form of adjustable support according to this inventionwe provide a resilient support consisting of a number of comparativelylight springs of metal, rubber or other suitable material in place ofthe usual substantially solid plate, and we further preferably providemeans whereby the springs may be adjusted from time to time inaccordance with requirements.

e preferably use a number of spiral metal springs having their endssecured to one side edge of the supporting frame or plate, and theirother ends to the upturned edge of the other side of the frame so thatthey form a springy incline adapted to lie under the arch of the foot.

Instead of securing the ends of the springs to the upturned edgedirectly, we prefer to secure them to a plate lying and adjustable uponthe upturned side of the supporting frame, so that by raising orlowering the plate the springs can be correspondingly raised or lowered.I

An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference tothe accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view Fig. 2 sideview and Fig. 3 an end or rear view Fig. 4- is a section on the line4'fic of Fig. 9., and

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2, while Fig. 6 is a detailof one of the sliding blocks.

Figs. 7 and 8 are side views, showing different means for raising andlowering the springs,

Figs. 9 and 10 illustrate constructions wherein the tension of thesprings can be modified, and

Fig. 11 shows a modified means for securing the upper ends of thesprings.

The main plate A, which rests on the in sole of the boot, and ispreferably, for lightness, cut awav at the center to form a frame, 1ssubstantially flat, as indicated in Fig. 3, with one side A bent upwardat an angle, the top of this side being arc-shaped as shown at a in Fig.1, and dotted lines in Fig. 2.

An adjustable plate 13, correspondingly arched at the top is appliedagainst the back of the part A and is partly held in position by meansof the sides of a slot Z) engaging under the head of a screw (4 or rivetsecured to the part A. This plate E has a series of lugs or pins 6 uponits arched upper edge, for the purpose of receiving the ends 0 of aseries of springs C, the other ends of which are secured to the oppositeside of the base A. In the example illustrated the edge of the base A isslotted at a and the ends 0 of the springs are passed through the slotsand bent over.

The springs are thus stretched on anincline between the top of the plate13 and the edge of the frame A.

rovision is made for simultaneously stretching the springs C and raisingtheir upper ends, so as to raise the arch of the foot. This is effectedin the following way.

At each side of the frame A, at the bend, are provided blocks (Z throughwhich pins (Z' screw-threaded at their inner ends, extend, collars (Z (Zbeing provided on the pins, so that while they can be rotated, theycannot move longitudinally.

These pins lie in slots or openings (0' in the bent-up portion of theplate A.

On each side the lower edge of the movable plate B is cut away on anincline rising from the outer edge toward the middle, to form twoupwardly inclined edges 72 Grooved blocks 6 are threaded on the pins(Z', the lower groove 6' on each block engaging the lower edge a of theslots a (Fig. 2) while the upper groove 6 c (Fig. 6) which is double thewidth of the lower groove 6', engages the edge 6 and the upper edge a ofthe slot at. This upper groove consists of a groove 0 which is ahorizontal groove, and a groove 6 which is inclined to correspond to theinclination b of the plate B. It will be seen that each block is engagedat three places, i. 6., centrally by the screw pin cl, at its base bythe edge a and at its top by the edges a and 6 For use the plate issecured, say by rivets F to the underside of a leather or other sole,

and to enable one size support to be used for a number of sizes inboots, we may provide curved lines on the heel end of the sole so thatby cutting along one or other of these lines the position of thesupporting springs is varied in relation to the heel.

If it is desired to raise or lower, and thereby simultaneously extend orslacken the springs, the screw rods CZ are turned, in the desireddirection, byv means of their handle ends d (Fig. 1 thereby raisingiorlowering the plate B andwith it the springs C. Should one or more of thesprings become broken or deformed or slack it can be easily removed andreplaced by another.

The springs need not necessarily extend from one-side of the plate orsupport to the other. .For example, short springs may be secured to oneor'other edge ofthe plate, their other ends being attached to one edgeof apiece of canvas, leather or other material, the other edge of thelatter being se" cured to the other edge of the plate orto,

similar springs secured theretoa It is notnecessary to describe indetail the manymodified forms in which our invention can be embodied inorder to effect either simply raising or lowering the springs at oneend, simply varying the tension of the springs, or the combined raisingor lowering and tension adjustment of the springs, as theseoperations-can be effected in various ways as by means of cams,eccentrics, rollers, hinges, telescopic parts or lever devices,

and the adjustable form of the invention is not limited to anyparticular method of ac complishing the adjustments referred to.

A few examples of these modifications i may, however, be indicated. Ifthe side A is substantially at a right angle to the main or base plate,when the part B is raised, theftension of the springs will remainsubstantially unaltered, while, conversely, by

arranging the movable part of the device'on the end of the base part A,the tension of the springs can be varied. without altering the height ofthe springs at the other end. Such an arrangement is shown in Fig. 9wherein the movable plate B, corresponding to B in Fig. 3, can beadjusted to and fro on the plate A, bymeans of a screwa engaging in asmall bracket a secured to the'plate A, the screw also engaging in theupturned end of a sliding plate B, provided with a longitudinal slot toreceive the stemsofheaded guide and clamping screws a similar-tothoseshown-in Fig. 2. By turning the screw 0 after loosening the screws a theplate B can be moved outward or'inward on theplate A.

= 'Fig. 7. illustrates a construction, similar to'Figp2, wherein theparts A and B are substantially at a right angle to the main plate, themovable member B being operated 'byfa rightiand left handed screw cl,

having a central milled head (Z by which the blocks 0 are simultaneouslymoved outward or inward to lower or raise the member B, as required.

N Fig. 8 shows a similar view in which cams f are employed to raise andlower the member B.

Fig. 10 illustrates a modified construction wherein the parts A and Aare hinged together, the ends of the springs being, attacheddirectly tothe upper end of A, and a screw 9 being employed to regulate the angleformed by A withA.

Fig- 11' indicates a modified means for securing the ends of thesprings, the ends of the springs being hooked over the bars 6 formedbetween adjacent perforations b '6 Y "What we claim and desire LettersPatent is 1. A foot-arch support comprising a base member having oneside higher than the other, and a support comprising a member of readilyand individually removable spring members extending between and se curedto the two sides of the base member.

2. A foot-arch support comprising a base member having onesideqhigher-than the other, a support comprising a number of springsextending between the two, sides of the base member, and means forvarying the tension of the springs.

to secure by 3. A foot-arch support comprising a base member having oneside higher than the other, a support comprising a number-of springsextending between'the two sides of the base member, and means forvarying the inclination of the springs.

4. A foot-arch support comprising a base member having" an upwardlyextending side, means for adjusting the position of said sidesrelativelyto the remainder of the base member, 'and a support-comprising a numberof springs extending from the top of the incline side to the other sideof the base member.

5. A foot-arch support comprising a base member having one side higherthan the other and a support comprising a number of spirally woundmetal'springs extending between the two sides of'the base member.

6. A foot-arch support comprising a'base member having an upwardlyextending side and a series of spiral metal springsyeach spring havingone of its ends secured to one side of thebase member and its other endsecured to the upwardly inclined side, substantially as set forth.

7. A foot-arch support comprising a'base member having an upwardlyextending flat side portion, an adjustable plate having a curved uppersurface lying against the flat side and adjustable thereon, and a seriesof spring members secured on the one side tothe adjustableplate and attheir other ends to the other side of the base member substantially asset forth.

8. A foot-arch support comprising a base member having an upwardlyextending side a plate lying against the side, a screw adjustment forraising or lowering the plate relatively to the side, and a series ofspring members secured on the one side to the plate and at their otherends to the other side of the base member substantially as set forth.

9. A foot-arch support comprising a base member having an upwardyextending side, a plate adj ustably mounted against said side,

inclined guides on said plate, nuts adapted to travel on the base memberand engaging 15 said inclined guide, screw adjustment for said nuts on aseries of springs extending from the adjustable plate to the other sideof the base member.

in testimony whereof We aflix our signa- 20 tures in presence of twowitnesses.

"WILLIAM HENRY ROBSON. ALFRED POWELL. Witnesses SAMUEL WILLIAM RANDALL,ALFRED Gnonen NAYLOR.

